Appeals for Niua on Operation Niuatoputapu Day 6

A Samoan gift to Tongan Aucklanders means two containers can now be filled for the people harmed by the Tsunami that wrecked much of Niuatoputapu – a northern Tongan Island near to Samoa.

Va’aiga Tuigamala, a Samoan former All Black married to a Tongan, told Tongan Advisory Council (TAC) chair Melino Maka a container will be available in West Auckland and another in Mangere from Day 7, Tuesday October 6.

The Mangere container is at 15 Manning Crescent. The West Auckland container is at the Corban Estate, Henderson. A packer will normally be in attendance to record gifts and pack them. The maximum any family can use in the containers is one cubic metre. Only dry goods, clothes and water may be included says Mr Maka. No building materials can be transported in this shipment he says. The donor should write their details and the recipient’s name and address clearly with their gifts, so that distribution will be possible in Niua. TAC needs a copy of the donor and recipient details so they can provide it to the Tongan National Disaster Committee and the Tongan Red Cross.

TAC made similar arrangements for Waka and Heta Cyclone relief in 2002 and 2004.

Red Cross have told NZAID that they are now accepting donations for Tonga via their appeal: Info@redcross.org.nz. Mr Maka checked the Red Cross website immediately and noted that specific mention of Niua still needed to be added.

TAC stepped up talks with Oxfam New Zealand on Day six and “we look forward to making a positive announcement as soon as possible as to what we can do together” Mr Maka said.

Va’aiga Tuigamala told Mr Maka the two containers would be transported to Niua free of chargeon the HMNZ Canterbury as part of its relief sailing to Samoa. Mr Maka noted that he had also been told by NZAID, before the call from Mr Tuigamala, that HMZN Canterbury was not definitely going. Late on Monday night a request from the Tongan Government to the NZ Government for HMNZS Canterbury to stop over in Tonga on its way to Samoa was reported by www.pmo.gov.to website bureau.

The specific practical support for Niua represents a breathrough that the Tongan community in New Zealand have wanted us to achieve. Over the weekend we were frustrated at the lack of attention to Niua – a problem caused in part by normal difficulties in communication to the isolated island, aggravated by the Tsunami Mr Maka said.

Lopeti Senituli, Press Secretary/Political Adviser to the Prime Minister of Tonga, said in a statement released on Monday night relief vessels arrived in Niua on Monday, and more were starting to make a difference. Niua’s airport and roads on Niua are now usable. Relief supplies are being distributed. Temporary health services have been established. Water is available in Vaipoa but elsewhere there are problems with water supplies. Government High school classes are to resume soon. High school exams have been postponed throughout Tonga. Damage to root crops is reported limited, but future crops may be harmed by salt in the soil. Fishing boats are assumed damaged.

The Niua prison with ten prisoners was destroyed and prisoners are serving “extra murally” Mr Senituli said.

He said there is now need for

- Tents & tarpaulins

- Medical kits and medicine, washing soap, tooth brushes, tooth paste

- Flour, sugar, rice, cooking oil, corned beef, breakfast
crackers, noodles

- Hurricane lamps, candles, torches and batteries

- Generators, diesel, benzene, kerosene

- Clothes and shoes.

Alfred Soakai, in Tonga’s Ministry of Information and Communications, says as an alternative to generators solar units enough to run lights would be appreciated..

NZAID say relief supplies have been supplied to Tonga Red Cross from New Zealand Red Cross (NZRC). Supplies which had arrived in Tonga by Day 5 of Operation Niuatoputapu are

48 tents, 200 water containers, 100 kitchen sets and 30 first aid kits.

Tonga Red Cross has requested the NZRC desalination plant to be deployed in consultation with the Tongan National Disaster Management Committee (NDMC). NZAID passed on information that says the desalination plant request was under action on Day 5, awaiting further assessment info.

NZRC are accepting donations for relief activities with 100% of donations going to Tonga RC says Glenn Rose, Manager - International Programmes, New Zealand Red Cross, National Office in Wellington. Find out more information from NZ Red Cross on Phone: +64 4 495 0133, Mobile: +64 27 280 8042, Fax: +64 4 473 031 and www.redcross.org.nz

The Red Cross team assessment of Niuatoputapu households at 7am on Oct 5th 2009, advised through NZAID Wellington, was less in some instances than reported by the Tongan Prime Minister’s Office of Day 5, October 4. More houses in Vaipoa village, and a lot more in Hihifo, may have been harmed.

The table records the Red Cross Oct 5 household assessment

Community / Complete Damage / Half damage / Fine / Population affected
Falehau . . . . 32 . . . . 28 . . . . . 3 . . . . 138
Vaipoa . . . . 7 . . . . .3 . . . . . 47. . . . 30
Hihifo . . . . 39 . . . . 25 . . . . 20. . . . 162

NZAID Wellington based communications adviser Catrina Williams said on Day 5 NZAID now has people on the ground in Niuatoputapu – and they will be able to improve the flow of information.

She shared a Day 6, 5 October update on the New Zealand government response to the earthquake and tsunami in Niuatoputapu, with the Auckland based Tongan Advisory Council, published here.

The NZAID update says:

• “The Tongan Government has led an effective tsunami relief operation on the island of Niuatoputapu and this has been supported by New Zealand , France and Australia working collaboratively under the FRANZ arrangement (eds: FRANZ is a cooperation agreement between France, Australia and New Zealand for the Pacific).

• New Zealand has provided relief supplies and funding to the Red Cross to support their contribution.

• Within hours of the tsunami strike, Tonga had sent up a reconnaissance aircraft and then dispatched a Tongan Defence Service (TDS) patrol vessel to transport 58 personnel, including army engineers and Red Cross relief workers.

• In response to an official request from the Tongan Government, three French military CASA aircraft have been dispatched to Nuku’alofa with relief supplies and a number medical personnel.

• The French vessel Revi has arrived at Niutoputapu carrying French supplies and personnel along with New Zealand, Australian and New Zealand Red Cross relief supplies, as well as NZAID and Red Cross staff, to Niutoputapu.

• The TDS (Tongan Defence Service) is providing communications links and has worked on clearing roads and the airstrip. The Revi’s desalination plant is also helping to meet immediate fresh water needs.

• The New Zealand Red Cross is shipping further desalination equipment to meet medium term water needs.

• The response operation in Tonga is moving into the recovery phase and Tonga ’s Cabinet will be meeting today (Monday) to discuss next steps.

• This will be followed by planned assessment visits to NTT by a team from the Tongan National Emergency Management Committee and aid donors who will visit tomorrow and Wednesday.

• Assessments will also come in from those already on the ground [and NZAID Manager is now on the island and France has a Civil Defence response person there as well as medical personnel.

• The New Zealand High Commission has been attending the Tongan Government response briefings and expect to be part of any further donor coordination meetings.

• The New Zealand Defence Adviser in Nuku’alofa is liaising with TDS contacts around transportation needs.

• So far no requirements for heavy plant or machinery have been identified

• Clearly a substantial recovery and rebuilding effort will be required in the weeks ahead. We are discussing the likely shape of a more substantial assistance package with the Samoan and Tongan governments and other donors, and working towards reaching decisions later in the week.

• Priorities emerging include the need for clean water and sanitation; housing, and restoration of the affected area's tourism infrastructure”, the NZAID Day 5 update concluded.

Mr Maka thanked the Samoan community for their offer to include the people of Niuatoputapu as part of the Operation Samoan Tsunami Relief Appeal 2009. We are grateful for all the help we have received. We hope to encourage more short and longer term help he said.

From Anthony Haas, representing Asia Pacific Economic News in New Zealand’s Parliamentary Press Gallery, author of the DecisionMaker Talking business columns and Director of the Centre for Citizenship Education: ahaas@decisionmaker.co.nz

© Scoop Media